Oktobar Maglovito
by FluffleNeCharka
Summary: When Alex accidentally helps Wanda locate her mother, she ends up dragging him on a road trip across America to find her. Hopefully, what she finds won't break her heart just as it starts to heal. Alex/Wanda, can be taken as platonic or romantic.
1. Magla Not Magda

**Author's Note:** Future chapters will be a lot longer. And maybe more angsty, but if anything bad comes up I'll warn for it in the AN. I haven't written a lot of Evo fic, let alone for these characters, so please bare with me as I get the hang of it. This is sort of a prologue/set up; after this each chapter will cover the whole length of one day as opposed to a single scene. I just thought it stood better on its own as a mini-chapter.

* * *

"Look under Magla," Alex said impulsively.

And that was what got him into all this trouble. That was the phrase that sealed his fate; the reason he would end up skipping a week of school, the cause behind him seeing parts of the country he'd never known before... It was the Pandora's Box of words, but he didn't know that. He didn't even know there was a Box in this case. All he was trying to do was help. Later on, when enough time had passed that he could relay the story to others in his usual joking manner, he would start it with the disclaimer slapped in front that he didn't know what the heck he was doing. He was Alex Summers, surfer dude, typical bro, maker of lame quips. He wasn't psychic and if a psychic _had_ told him what this would've led to, he'd have laughed in their face.

If he'd thought about it all before he said it - which he hadn't, at all - he wouldn't have spoken to her. She scared him back then. She wasn't quite right. Alex was a pretty mellow human being, and he didn't have a whole lot in common with her. They didn't hate each other, as far as he knew, but there was nothing there for them to build a friendship off of. They had nothing in common. He had smiled and waved at her once or twice and been ignored. She clearly didn't like him, so he should've shut his mouth - he just didn't realize until after he'd said it that this might not be a good idea. He gulped and steeled his nerves. _I am not afraid of some Goth chick. I am not afraid of some Goth chick._ Yeah, and maybe if he clicked his red sneakers together he'd wake up in Kansas, too.

Wanda whirled around angrily, mouth opening to retort, but then her brow furrowed as she processed what he'd said. In the dim light of the morning, she looked a lot less intimidating than usual. More tired, worn down. "Magla?"

Delierately oblivious to the danger he was in, he pointed over her shoulder to the computer. "The name you're searching. It's usually an Americanized form of Magla or Maglaja. My Sociology teacher was telling us about name changes and how immigration forced them on people in the past."

She looked taken aback. "I..." she paused, searching for something to say. "Thank you. I didn't know."

He rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly realizing how awkward this was. He hadn't meant to blurt it out, but the sight of her so frustrated and shaky, curled up by the computer after hours - well, before hours, actually - made him instinctively reach out to her. It reminded him of himself. Alex looked back at her and tried to meet her eyes as best he could. _Magda Bacovic_, the screen in front of him said. He cleared his throat nervously.

"Is, uh, whoever you're looking up Slavic? I might be able to help. My Soc. teacher said some stuff about last names - I think it's in my book, actually." He shifted his backpack off his shoulders and unzipped the bag casually. "It should be in here somewhere if you want to borrow it. Just have it back to me by lunch."

"Why are you helping me?" she asked sharply, voice suspicious. She was trying to be intimidating, but came across more as weary. "I'm not your friend."

He held out the book to her regardless. His eyes were sympathetic and his voice sincere. "I saw Pietro looking that name up, once. Just the first one. And I don't know how you two know her, but... I know what it's like not to know what happened to someone, that you loved."

There was a tangible silence. Then she took the book, scanning the page he'd flipped it to. "Did you help Pietro?" Her voice turned choked and angry again. "_Does he know where she is?_"

"What? No! He couldn't find anything and he told me to mind my own business." He started to reach for her shoulder to be comforting, instantly thought better of it, and then reminded himself of the grudge between the siblings. This wasn't his business and for all he knew this was a really sensitive topic he'd stumbled onto. He had to play it cool. Somehow he managed a coherent reply despite the increasing tension. "It's not like that, Wanda. He couldn't turn anything up and I hadn't taken Sociology yet. Whatever's going on, he's just as lost as you are."

Her fists unclenched, slowly, leaving wrinkles in the pages. "Where's your locker? I... I'll give this back. I promise."

"It's 134, down by the Science and Biology lab," Alex said cheerfully, as if he was just hanging with anyone. "You might want to get a book out on Etymology from the city library if that doesn't help."

She swallowed heavily. Her expression was unreadable. "Thank you, Summers."

"It's cool. If you need anymore help, I know Ms. Asaji is crazy into geneology. Might want to hit her up, see if she can help you find whoever you're looking for. She's wicked cool." He smiled. "And good luck with whatever you're looking up. I hope it works out."

"Thanks," she said softly, and he grinned at her again, a little less awkwardly this time, and exited the computer lab smoothly.

Alone, Wanda turned back to the screen, took in a deep breath. Her mother had gone by a lot of different last names, but it had never occurred to her the first might have changed. She shouldn't get her hopes up that any of these results would be remotely relevant. The odds of her finding her mother were slim at best and she knew that. Hope sprung eternal, but hope also brought her crashing down to Earth every time she tried it. When she changed the name to Magla Bacovic, the search engine gave her fifty two new results. Each had a small photo beside it. She scrolled down, and then abruptly froze.

If Alex Summers had been in the room then, she'd have kissed him, if she could get herself to stop crying.


	2. In Pursuit Of Happiness

**Author's Note:** I believe this is what TV Tropes calls a Hope Spot. But hey, at least we're building up this weird friendship rather than just jumping into it. Sorry for the delay between chapters.

* * *

"You can't take my car!" Alex shouted.

Wanda calmly looked over at him as if she were borrowing his iPod and asked, "Why shouldn't I? You were the one who told me where your locker was."

"That wasn't an okay to take my car keys-"

"Then you shouldn't have left them in an _unlocked_ locker. Now get out of the car."

He frowned. "No."

Her eyebrows soared. "What?"

"Whatever you're doing, I'm coming with you. I'm not sure what's going on, but you've been acting all weird lately. And not your usual glaring and snapping weird, either. You've been all loopy and out there." Alex crossed his arms and leaned back in the passenger's seat. "I'm going with you."

"This is none of your business," she hissed angrily, fists tightening on the wheel a little. "Now get out before I throw you out."

"If you throw me out I'm calling it in stolen. The police will be on you before you've crossed the state line. _And_," he added suddenly, as the thought struck him, "I can help you find whoever Magla is. I'm not as ditzy as I seem."

She mulled this over for a second.

"You can tell them all you dragged me along when we get back," the blonde suggested helpfully.

"...fine. But I'm driving."

"Can I pick the music?" he asked cheerfully, putting on his seatbelt calmly as if this was a normal ride to the mall for smoothies. Internally, he was feeling a bubble of anxiety twist his stomach as he realized he didn't know where they were going or what they were doing. But he knew something was wrong, and he was worried about her.

"Don't push your luck, Summers."

"Can I ask what we're doing, then?"

"We're finding my mother." She said it with finality. "No matter what it takes."

He shifted in his seat. He wasn't even aware she and Pietro had a mother. Well, he knew in an intellectual way that surely the woman had to exist, but he'd never given it any thought beyond that. Any woman who loved Magneto either had to be crazy or willing to look past an insane amount of character flaws. He couldn't picture what such a person looked like, but he knew what it was like to be alone. And that was what Wanda was. Her brother wasn't like his; Pietro wasn't really there for her and kept a wide berth from her at school. There wasn't anyone else to come with her. If Alex had to make this same trip he could round up a half dozen people. Wanda had to do everything under her own power.

He reached out and hesitantly touched her hand. "It's gonna be okay. We can do this. Two heads are better than one, right?"

His moodswings were starting to give Wanda whiplash. _And people think _I'm_ crazy._ "...right."

"Where are we going, anyway?"

"Pittsburgh. That's the last lead I have. We may have to go somewhere else if she isn't still there." She adjusted the mirror and then they were off, rolling away from school and all the familiar drama and faces it contained. As the blocks went by, she kept glancing over at Alex uncertainly. "If you're going to get out of this, you might want to do so before we're out of the town limits."

"I'm not going anywhere," Alex assured her. "Besides, you dragged me along, remember?"

She rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Summers."

* * *

It took what seemed like endless time to get across the state border.

"We should get lunch," Alex announced. "And I'll drive the rest of the way. You're exhausted."

"I am _not-_"

"Please, you're a worse liar than my brother. Just let me help you. It's not like I'm asking you to let Kitty drive or something." He smiled as she shuddered. "I'll pay for lunch and everything. C'mon, you've been at this forever."

"It's been three hours."

"They say anything more than two hours in a row is wicked bad for your health. If you want to be remotely awake when you meet your mom, you need a break at the very least. Look, there's a diner over there. We'll stop, unwind a little, refuel and get back on the road in like an hour, tops." He gave her the puppy dog eyes his brother so hated. "Please?"

"Fine. An hour, tops."

"I promise."

She sighed in a long suffering sort of way and pulled into the parking lot. "I suppose I should get something just to get you off my back."

"That's the spirit," he said cheerfully as he got out. "We should get ice cream, since we're already breaking all the rules... and I might wanna call my brother, at some point."

"Good luck with that."

"Hey, it'll be cool. I'll just call Jean instead. She'll understand. And she can explain it to Scott. By the time his brain is done breaking we'll be back, right?" Alex was seemingly able to blow off every problem he faced, and it was both irritating and charming. "Where do you want to sit?"

She shrugged and plunked down across from him at a seafoam green, plastic feeling booth with a clear table. How tacky. If you'd told Wanda Maximoff yesterday that she'd be eating lunch with Alex Summers, she'd have thought it was a very dumb joke. Now they were ordering food, talking to a waitress who looked as worn down as Wanda felt, surrounded by empty chairs and elderly couples. Awkward didn't begin to cover it.

"So since Pietro gets his hair from your dad, does that mean your mom has black hair like you?" Alex asked thoughtfully.

"Yes," she confirmed, looking at the table and not meeting his eyes. "She wasn't like any of us, though, when it came to personality. She was very... withdrawn. Shy. Daydreaming. Sweet."

"You must miss her," he said softly. "And, I mean, at least I knew my parents were dead. Not knowing where she is - that's rough, Wanda. I'm sorry."

"It's alright. I know where she is now, and _nothing_ will prevent me from finding her," she stated firmly. Alex grinned. "What?"

"You're most like you when you're angry," he explained. "It's how I know you're okay."

"You make no sense, Summers."

"It's part of my charm."

* * *

Their growing friendship was first tested by that noblest and darkest of foes, the map.

Maps had been tearing couple apart in America for generations. Over the course of many years, the argument over where they should have made a turn was something that endured all the political and social changes of the United States. Turns, roads, street names, Google Maps instructions versus traditional mapping, and of course the argument was intensified because Wanda was here for something actually important. This wasn't a sight seeing tour. They weren't on a casual trip. They had the windows rolled down to aid in the process of asking for directions, which meant that, when things hit their crescendo, everyone on the street could hear them.

"No one asked you to come visit my mom!" Wanda yelled, hitting the wheel with her palms. "If you're not going to help you should've stayed home!"

"You can't always be alone! It's bad for your health-"

"Spare me the hippie bullshit, just this once-"

"Excuse me!"

"-you're always trying to control everyone, Wanda. Just let me help you!"

"I would if you were being helpful!"

"EXCUSE ME!"

They both turned, seeing an amused looking black man standing patiently by the passenger's side of the car. "It might be more helpful to ask for directions rather than end your marriage."

Wanda's death glare was tinged with belated horror. "We're not-"

"Oh, _honey,_ we can ask for directions," Alex said cheerfully, ignoring the Goth woman's glare burning into him. "Do you know how to reach this address?"

The man took the paper, looked at it and smiled. "You're in the right neighborhood. Just go down two blocks and look for the dark red brick building. You can't miss it." He handed the address back, and Alex smiled gratefully at him.

"Thanks, man. We really appreciate it. Don't we, darling?"

"I would've found it eventually," she muttered defiantly. Her 'husband' and the stranger shared a look before the car pulled away. "Why did you pretend we were married?"

"It's a good cover, especially since we look so young. A married couple is less suspicious than two teenagers roaming the Earth." He shrugged. "You don't need the stress of random strangers butting in."

"You mean like you?" she asked bitterly. He winced. She exhaled sharply. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm just nervous."

"It's alright. You want me to come in with you?" he asked gently. She shook her head. "Okay. I understand. Um, I guess I'll guard the car, then."

She parked in front of the three story building, and inhaled slowly. "Thanks. For everything. You can go now."

"And leave you in Pittsburgh? Alone? With no car? Dude, not cool. I'm waiting until it's all ironed out." He crossed his arms and leaned back in the seat. "I'll be here."

Wanda sighed again, but didn't object. Instead, she looked seriously into his eyes for a moment before departing. She paused at the door before entering, and then he was alone. Alex wondered why he was the one who was so nervous when this didn't involve him. Tension curled in his stomach. _Please, please let things be okay._ He turned on the radio for a bit, then turned it off, unable to focus on it. After a moment's contemplation, he realized he had yet to call Jean like he said he would. But he didn't reach for his phone. It wasn't that there was nothing to say. There were plenty of thoughts going through his head. He just didn't know if any of them would make sense to people outside of this situation. To people who hadn't seen the vulnerable way Wanda just looked at him, she was an angry and aloof woman. To him, now, she was just a person as lost as any other.

And he would be here for her to yell at when she resumed her normal life. _If_ she resumed her normal life. Mostly he was hoping her mother would really be there, and she could be reunited. The way he'd felt when he found Scott again - it was beyond words. He hadn't dared to hope his family was alive. It was like having something returned to him he'd never really understood he'd lost. A piece of the world that had been missing was back. His brother meant more to him than anyone could ever understand. The years apart hadn't pushed them apart; it had brought them back together stronger than ever. Family was something Alex valued much more than his dumb surfer boy exterior would've led people to believe. To quote from his Literature teacher, the dark fog lifted and he could see.

Ten minutes later, Wanda slammed the door to the apartment complex, fists clenched at her side and fighting back tears. "Seattle," she said blankly, collapsing into the seat. "We don't have money to get to Seattle. We can't..." She trailed off, tangling her hands in her hair. "I failed. What now?"

The fog had not lifted for her yet.


	3. Communique

"Professor, I need money," were the first words out of Alex's mouth.

Scott grabbed the phone away from his mentor. "No, you need an explanation! Where are you?"

"We're in Pittsburgh."

"We?"

"Wanda's with me."

Scott dropped the phone.

A second later, the Professor told him, "Alright, you're on speakerphone. Please, Alexander, if you could, we really do need to know what's going on. Skipping school is a serious offense in this house, you understand."

"I know, man. But you can punish me however you want when I get back. Wanda - her mom - where do I start? I, uh, I guess the abridged version is that I'm helping her find her mom. She's out there, we've got leads and - and I know this is crazy, but - I think she needs me to help her. We can do this. Together." He exhaled slowly, rubbing at the back of his neck nervously. "We just need funds to get there."

Ororo's voice asked, "Where are you going?"

"Seattle. We think. It's our only lead."

"And the reason you can't just come back and take the jet?" Logan asked, sounding very disapproving of the whole venture.

"She doesn't trust any of you that much. She'd never agree to it. This is the only way."

"Why are you even with her?" Scott asked, sounding completely baffled instead of angry. "Did she make you come along? Is she holding you hostage? Why-"

"I volunteered, actually." Alex shifted from foot to foot. "She's not that bad, you know? She's not some witch hellbent on kicking our asses. She's just a person. A girl. Missing her mom. Like I was missing you, Scott. I can help her find her family. Just give this a chance." After a pause of silence on all ends, he added, "I thought X-Men were supposed to help people. Our people, mutants - that's what she and her mom are. Come on, Prof, please."

He sighed, and Alex could practically envision him steepling his fingers. "I see. Well, you're nearly an adult. I suppose I should trust your ability to judge the situation. However, you really should have informed someone as to where you were going."

"It's easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission. My English teacher taught me that."

"Yes, well, I'll have to discuss that with Mr. Ghiartti later. For now I would ask that you please tread cautiously and give us updates as often as possible." Charles' smile was evident in his voice. "Yes, that does mean that I'm giving you permission to continue. It shouldn't be too difficult to wire you mon-"

"You can't be serious!" Scott shouted. "Wanda's insane!"

"People change!" Alex snapped. "You can't punish her with never seeing her mother again just because she made some bad decisions in the past! That's not fair! You're being selfish!"

"You're being an idiot! She took all of us out at once one time, she can take you in a heartbeat-"

"Wanda would never hurt me-"

"Scott, Alex, please. I understand your concerns, both of you, but sometimes risks are necessary to bring people into the fold. If we withdraw our aid from everyone we think unworthy," the Professor explained gently, "We will end up alone in the end. Wanda has been making progress with the school therapist and has not engaged in any disruptive behavior in months. It's possible this may be the catharsis she needs to be set right again."

"I'm just trying to help," Alex sighed, leaning his head against the car door. "I just want to do something right. I can make this better. Just give me a chance."

"...Fine." Scott ground out. "But anything goes wrong and we're there with the jet to haul you out."

"Love you too, bro."

* * *

The money wiring resulted in a brief moment of hope.

Hope was a new expression for Wanda. It softened the harsh edges of her face and let the gloom come out of her eyes. In those rare open moments she would look like she was waiting for an answer to come, and in this case Alex could provide one. He could provide the money for this, even if he had to pay the Prof. back later, he could make this a reality. They drove long into the night. They flipped through Alex's musical collection. Wanda talked about her mother's long black hair and the soft orange leather jacket she'd worn, the way she'd sit on the floor to play with her children, the time they made a fort out of couches. Alex talked about being alone and wishing on a turtle skull he'd found on the beach. He'd wished for Scott to still be alive somehow. He had been convinced repeating it enough would make it work.

"How old were you when you did that?" she asked thoughtfully.

"Older than I should've been," he admitted. "But I wanted so bad for them to have made it somehow. I saw stories like that on TV and I wanted it to be my life. I wanted them back."

"Did it ever feel... like a hole, where they should've been?"

"It still does. I miss my parents. But I was blessed to get Scott back and I try to appreciate that. He's my family and I love him, even if it does feel like something's missing sometimes and we end up fighting more than I'd like." He yawned and frowned. "We need to get a hotel. This isn't an overnight drive, no matter how much we want it to be."

"Yeah. Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for listening to my stupid girly emotional stuff."

"Same to you, Wanda. You're a real cool chick."

The rest of the ride to the nearest C'Mon Inn was spent in pleasant, companionable silence.

* * *

When Wanda woke up, Alex was doing laps in the pool. She stood on the indoor balcony of their room and watched him move gracefully through the water. He spotted her and tried to splash water up to her. He failed, but she smiled briefly all the same.

"I didn't know the pool was open this early, Summers," she said neautrally enough.

"It isn't. I figured you'd want to leave once you got up so I'd get in what I could."

"Rebellious," she mused with a note of approval in her voice. "I'll get us breakfast while you finish communing with your spirit dolphin or whatever it is you surfers do."

"Spirit _turtle_," was his only correction.

She shook her head. That blonde was so far beyond weird. She didn't envy the turtle that had to guide that blockhead through life. She wondered vaguely if Pietro was worried about her. It didn't matter. He had sided with their father from the beginning, and never really tried to find Magla as the years went on. He didn't really seem to care. If he did he was hiding it well. So if he couldn't be bothered to even mourn the day Magneto drove her away, he didn't deserve to be in on the operation to find her. He could find out afterwards with the rest of the Brotherhood he was so happy with.

Room service was expensive but quicker, and Alex returned sopping wet and smiling cheerfully at her just before the breakfast platters arrived. He changed in the bathroom before sitting down and devouring his meal with an enviable passion. Wanda had never really had meals with anyone before. The Brotherhood lived like slobs. The concept of a dining room was foreign to them. To her recollection, the last happy breakfast she'd had with people had been with her mother. With her full family, when they had been a family. She frowned as she bit into the sausage. Pangs of longing were getting stronger now that she had someone to discuss them with, someone to vent to. The need to tell him everything was overwhelming, bursting withing her, an uncontrollable desire not to be so alone in this.

But she had tried that with the psychologists at the asylum. They had told her she was lying, twisting the truth, making things up, talking about impossible things, that her mother was dead, and all kinds of contradictory things. They tore apart her memories looking for symbolism until she learned to hide them all inside. She hid everything inside. They didn't let her have so much as a teddy bear at that terrible place, but they couldn't take her memories or her anger from her.

When they got back in the car, Wanda insisted on driving. Her tone was such that Alex didn't argue.


End file.
